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5.26.2014

Rise and Shine

For those of us who are recovering from a long weekend in the U.S. this post is for you.

I've always wanted to take little steps to improve my diet. Not that we eat junk: we eat whole foods most of the times, prepared at home or from the store. We shop produce as much as possible from small, local vendors and we eat things that are in season. But every now and then, as the fate of busy person, I resorted to convenient food, in my case power bars or the Tod's snacks (which are not necessarily healthy).

I'm going to try something new here, replacing a meal/a snack with a hearty, healthy shake. I came across this recipe from somewhere and added a touch or two of my own taste. I've been drinking this shake in lieu of breakfast and it holds me up well until lunch time, leaving me plenty of energy to play with the Tod.

Chai Smoothie

makes 1 serving

3/4 cup boiling water

3/4 cup almond milk

1 tsp almond butter

1 Tbs maca powder mix (I use the Superfood Blend above, or you can use any of your "healthy drink" mix here)

1 Tbs vegetable-based protein powder (you can use whey or soy protein, too, if you like. Mine is made from brown rice and other sprouted grains)

1/4 tsp Rooibos Masala Chai

1/2 of very ripe banana or avocado

Sweetening of your choice (I don't use any, especially if I'm using the banana)

Rooibos and maca powder contain lots of antioxidants. Almond milk & butter will stave off hunger, so is protein powder. You can choose other rooibos tea, but I like the combination of chai + almond milk best.

Steep your tea with boiling water according to package. Mine is powder, so I simply mix 1/4 tsp into boiling water.

Blend everything, including the hot tea, in a blender. Be careful. Serve warm otherwise the almond butter won't mixed in properly.

To mix things up, sometimes I also throw in flax seed or chia seeds. A little word of caution with chia: they swell, so drink immediately before the smoothie turns into gungey mess. I hope you enjoy this recipe, let me know if you decide to try it.